Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tailgate truck bed, and more particularly, a tailgate truck bed extension.
Description of the Prior Art
Numerous innovations for truck bed extenders have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention.
A FIRST EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 2,852,303, Issued on Sep. 16, 1958, to Hopson teaches a vehicle including a support member having a horizontally disposed floor and vertically disposed, spaced, and parallel side members, horizontally disposed bars mounted on the floor, a plurality of spaced, parallel, horizontally disposed, and channel-shaped tracks mounted on the bars and arranged at right angles to the bars, and a movable and U-shaped body member adjustably connected to the support member. The body member includes a horizontally disposed bottom wall and spaced, parallel, and vertically disposed side walls. Further included are channel-shaped rails secured to the lower surface of the bottom wall. The rails register with the tracks. Still further included are trucks connected to the rails, and include wheels engaging the tracks, and brackets secured to the inner surfaces of the side members. The brackets include offset portions engaging the upper edges of the side walls. The upper portions of the side walls have a plurality of spaced-apart openings. Yet further included are securing elements extending through the brackets for selectively engaging the openings, and an angle bar secured to the bottom wall of the body member, a tailgate hingedly connected to the angle bar, a shaft mounted in the upper portion of the tailgate, a roller rotatably mounted on the shaft, and tail lights and a bumper connected to the movable body member.
A SECOND EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,245,714, Issued on Apr. 12, 1966, to Blair teaches a rectangular vehicle bed having a front and a rear end, which includes a frame having a pair of spaced-apart and longitudinally extending side members forming oppositely disposed pockets opening toward each other, transversely extending and transversely abutting floor boards having the opposite ends thereof slidably engaged, respectively, in the pockets forming a floor, an abutment at one end of the bed and engaging one of the boards preventing movement of the boards therepast longitudinally of the bed, and a transverse apparatus at the other end of the bed and engaging one of the boards preventing movement of the boards therepast longitudinally of the bed. Further included is an apparatus moveable longitudinally of the bed, engaging the transverse apparatus, and engaged with the frame for compressing the boards together longitudinally of the bed.
A THIRD EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,654, Issued on Sep. 23, 1997, to Eilers, et al. teaches a selectively extendable tailgate section for a cargo bed of a pick-up truck. The tailgate section is telescopically extended from the main body of the cargo bed to expand the cargo area as necessary. The telescoping tailgate section carries the flip-down gate and the tail lights of the vehicle keeping these features in tact, regardless of the expanded position of the tailgate section. The telescoping tailgate section includes side walls and a bottom that are telescopically received within the fixed sides and bottom of the cargo bed. Rails support the expanded bed and are supported by a plurality of rollers for easy movement of the tailgate section. Additional structure support is added to the tailgate section for improved structural capacity.
A FOURTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,188, Issued on Oct. 13, 1998, to Nash teaches a truck bed extender having a pair of generally parallel and spaced-apart side walls that are joined to a back wall, and having an open top and an open bottom. A pair of forwardly pointing plates or tabs are coupled to the side walls. The forwardly pointing plates are generally structured and configured to slidably engage slots defined by the strike plates and the truck bed walls of a pickup truck. A pair of downwardly pointing plates or tabs, each including an opening for a latch bolt, are also coupled to the side walls. The downwardly pointing plates are structured and configured to slidably engage the slots defined by the latch plates and sides of the tail gate of a pickup truck.
A FIFTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,725, Issued on Aug. 10, 1999, to Bowers teaches an extendable load bearing apparatus that protects the bed of a pickup truck from damage caused by unloading and loading objects into and out of the bed, and that protects the bed from otherwise compromising weather-related elements. The apparatus includes a load-bearing tray that has longitudinal sides, a forward end, and a rear end, and that has downwardly projecting tray supports extending substantially along the longitudinal sides of the tray. The apparatus also includes a plurality of rollers, each housed within a roller bracket and secured to a workpiece. Each of the plurality of rollers is in supporting relationship with one of the pair of downwardly extending tray supports. At least one axle extends transversely from each of the pair of downwardly extending tray supports. A wheel is mounted in rotatable relationship to each of the axles to facilitate movement of the load bearing tray in a longitudinal direction. A pair of channel brackets is secured to the workpiece, with each of the wheels being housed within one of the channeled brackets to limit movement of the load bearing sliding tray in a longitudinal direction. The rollers and the wheels function as load bearing members that support the sliding tray to maximize the load bearing capability of the sliding tray, regardless of the position of the tray in relation to the pair of channel brackets.
A SIXTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,622, Issued on Dec. 5, 2000, to Reed teaches a truck bed extension for extending the useful length of a pickup truck bed. The truck bed extension includes a pair of transversely spaced sidewalls interconnected by a spacing member, with each sidewall coupled to a downwardly extending mount having an inwardly oriented pin, whereby the pins are substantially opposed and collinear. The pins are positioned for receipt into openings in the tailgate housing latches. When the truck bed extension is lowered, the pins are received into, and releasably coupled with, the latches. Brackets are, preferably, provided adjacent the forward margins of the sidewalls and oriented outwardly to receive inwardly extending posts extending inwardly from the bed walls.
A SEVENTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,422,630, Issued on Jul. 23, 2002, to Heaviside teaches a door mounted on the edge of a tailgate of a pickup truck, which is foldable against the inside surface of the tail gate when the tail gate is vertical or horizontal or is oriented away from the tailgate when the tailgate is horizontal thereby enclosing the bed of the truck when the tailgate is horizontal. The door effectively converts the truck bed from the standard six foot length to the standard eight foot length for carrying a stack of eight foot panels without having to tie down the panels or for carrying loose piles of material. The door panel is detachable when required.
AN EIGHTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,850, Issued on Feb. 4, 2003, to Reed teaches a truck bed extension for extending the useful length of a pickup truck bed. The truck bed extension includes a pair of transversely spaced sidewalls interconnected by a spacing member. The sidewalls, each have a forward margin and a lower margin. The forward margins have hardware mimicking that present on the pickup tailgate so as to permit the sidewalls to couple to the truck bed walls without the need for additional hardware. The lower margins have hardware mimicking that present on the truck bed walls so as to permit the sidewalls to couple to the tail gate without the need for additional hardware.
A NINTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,644,704, Issued on Nov. 11, 2003, to Nyberg teaches an expandable rack for a truck bed used to transport lumber and the like, which includes a plurality of folding legs rigidly connected to an upper frame that supports the lumber. The folding legs allow the upper frame to retract completely within the truck bed compartment so as not to protrude over the edge of the truck bed side walls when not in use. Further, the rack provides an unobstructed truck bed in that no portion of the expandable rack except the folding legs occupy space on the truck bed floor allowing the truck bed to be loaded without having to position the loaded materials over or around the rack. The rack deploys easily to allow a single person to easily convert the rack from a retracted position to a deployed position.
A TENTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,994,389, Issued on Feb. 7, 2006, to Graffy, et al. teaches a truck bed extender that is attached to a tail gate by mounting brackets. The mounting brackets attach to the tail gate only, and require absolutely no alterations to the truck bed. The truck bed extender is easily removed by removing two pins or is folded against the tail gate for minimum intrusion into the truck bed when the tail gate is closed. A telescoping back section is adjusted for various truck bed widths. Corners of the truck bed extender are squared off to maximize use of the extended truck bed.
AN ELEVENTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 7,506,909, Issued on Mar. 24, 2009, to Barnes teaches a truck bed assembly within which the width dimension of the bed's cargo space is selectively adjusted. The assembly includes laterally movable sidewalls that are constructed so as to widen the bed floor surface as they are moved outward as well as a laterally expandable tailgate that lengthens and shortens as the sidewalls are laterally expanded and retracted.
It is apparent now that numerous innovations for truck bed extenders have been provided in the prior art that adequate for various purposes. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, accordingly, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.